Mutaz Abdelaziz, aPhD researcher with the SPRINGS project, is developing hydrological models to understand how floods form under current and future climate conditions. After a recent visit to Ghana, he reflects on how dam management, extreme weather, and local data can help to understand the formation of flood hotspots.
What is your PhD research about?
My role in theSPRINGS project is to model water flow and transport, especially in the context of climate change. I'm focusing on flood events in both case studies in Ghana and Romania, trying to understand where flood hotspots are likely to form and how those might evolve under changing climate scenarios.
You recently carried out fieldwork in Ghana. What did your fieldwork involve?
The visit helped us investigate the impacts of recent flood events in our case study areas. A major goal was to connect with local organisations and see what data they could share, things like climate data, past flood maps, topography, and dam operations. We also visited flood-affected sites to better understand what happens on the ground.
What kind of data were you gathering?
We were looking for data on flood extents, areas affected, and damages. From the organisations, we requested flow data from the river, operational data from the two dams controlling downstream flow, and any flood maps or topographical data. Some of the data has already been shared, and we’re still in contact with the local organisations to receive additional information.
Did anything stand out to you during the visit?
One thing that really struck me was the scale of the flooding. From photos we took during the visit, I could see that in some areas, the water rose nearly three metres during a past flood. That’s a large volume of water. I also learned that most of the flooding is not just due to rainfall, it’s often linked to dam flow releases. When there’s heavy rain upstream, the dam has to release a lot of water, which increases the flood risk downstream
So climate change contributes indirectly, via increased upstream rainfall?
Exactly. It’s all connected. Heavy rains upstream, triggered by climate shifts, force dam operators to release large volumes of water, leading to downstream flooding.
How does this work contribute to the wider SPRINGS project?
I’m identifying how much water is moving and where flood hotspots might occur. That data feeds into water quality models, helping other researchers in the consortium to understand how floods affect pathogen movement and contamination risks.
What’s next for you in this research?
Right now, we’re still gathering data, particularly from remote sensing. Satellite imagery, like from Sentinel missions, will help us map the extent of flooding over time. Once we have that, I’ll use it to develop a model that can guide the identification of flood hotspots.
If I get the chance to visit Romania, I’d like to carry out a similar assessment there. It would be helpful to compare the situation and understand the differences between the two case studies.